How state, cities are helping arts programs

Before the new coronavirus pandemic swept across Arizona, the Fox Tucson Theatre had 40 full-time employees. Today it has four.

Unable to produce shows and plays since March, the theater’s income has been depleted, leaving its future in the hands of donors, grants and government assistance. That future became more grim with the theater’s recent announcement that it will remain closed until 2021.

The theater has received money from donors and a federal Paycheck Protection Program loan to cover utilities, building upkeep and staff costs.

“Those funds only lasted so long and those funds also were designed for an imagined restart up that would happen much sooner than it could for organizations like ours. It helped us through a couple of months but it is exhausted at this point,” said Bonnie Schock, executive director of the Fox Tucson Theatre.

Prior to the pandemic, the theater’s annual budget was $4.5 million to $4.8 million.

“We were generating 70-75% of our annual income through sources related to a show, from concessions to tickets to bar sales and merchandise,” Schock said.

“Many of those costs don’t go away when you stop operating.”

The Fox Tucson Theatre is not alone. Most Arizona museums, theaters and art centers remain closed, waiting for Arizona’s current spike in COVID-19 cases to decrease.

Until then, the arts community is in crisis.

How the state plans to help

The Arizona Commission on the Arts, a state agency, has announced that federal relief funds will be distributed to nonprofit arts and culture organizations in the state.

In March, the commission requested $2 million from the state’s $11.8 billion so-called “skinny” budget, but the request was denied. This basic budget was passed as a coronavirus stopgap measure to keep the state operating.

Instead, on July 3, Gov. Doug Ducey said arts groups would receive $2 million in relief funding from the state’s